Kendrick Lamar Becomes The First Rapper To Win ‘Pulitzer Prize’

American rapper, Kendrick Lamar has become the first rapper to win the Pulitzer Prize for music for his DAMN album. It’s the first time a non-classical or Jazz artist to receive the honour.

The Pulitzer board announced Lamar’s  selection on Monday, calling the 2017 LP “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African American life.”

DAMN. is Lamar’s fourth studio album, the latest in a series of acclaimed and sonically eclectic records. The LP, which has reached double-platinum sales status, was nominated for Album of the Year and won Best Rap Album at this year’s Grammy awards ceremony.

Last year, the Nobel Prize in Literature also crossed over into mainstream pop music, awarding their prestigious medal to Bob Dylan. The singer received a $900,000 prize during a small private ceremony in Stockholm after submitting his speech to the Swedish Academy.